Information management memo leaked

Brussels - Evidence of a siege mentality at the heart of the European Commission emerged yesterday in Brussels with the accidental leaking of a draft memo on media strategy for the "crisis".

The memo, written by an anonymous member of the Spokesman Service, advocates "urgent action" in the face of the horrendous publicity the Commission has received recently and calls on the highly ill-disciplined service to close ranks.

The practice of Commissioners' individual spokesmen briefing against each other has to stop, says the memo. It urges officials to be "economical with the truth" in not releasing too much information to journalists.

Sources in the Spokesman Service say the confidential draft memo was left on a photocopier.